Armagh City: Traffic Wardens

Lord Kilclooney: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many traffic wardens were on duty in Armagh city centre between 3:30 pm and 4:00 pm on 29 October.

Lord Rooker: The deployment of traffic wardens is an operational matter for the Police Service of Northern Ireland. The PSNI does not disclose specific numbers of police officers on duty at points in time and would apply the same criteria to traffic wardens until such times as DRD assumes responsibility for them in autumn 2006.

Armed Forces: Recruitment Age

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the nature of the six-year commitment undertaken by 16 year-olds on joining the Armed Forces is compatible with obligations of the United Kingdom under the European Convention on Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict.

Lord Drayson: The six-year commitment is a term of service that applies to the Army. It provides that all recruits over 18 years old who enlist into the Army sign up to a minimum of four years with the right to give 12 months' notice at the three-year point. Those aged under 18, however, only have their reckonable service taken from their 18th birthday. Therefore, if a young man or woman enlisted on their 16th birthday, for instance, he/she could serve a minimum of six years, comprising two years under-18 service and four years of adult service, before leaving the Army by giving 12 months' notice at what for them would be the five-year point.
	The UK ratified the optional protocol (OP) on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict on 24 June 2003. In so doing the UK agreed that it would take all feasible measures to ensure that members of the Armed Forces who have not attained the age of 18 years do not take a direct part in hostilities. The UK made another declaration upon ratification concerning the minimum age of recruitment (age 16, in line with minimum school-leaving age) and on the safeguards to ensure that all recruitment of under-18s is genuinely voluntary and with informed consent of the volunteer and his/her parents.
	Although the six-year commitment predates the ratification of the OP, it is consistent with it. There are adequate safeguards in place to ensure that young servicemen or women under the age of 18 years may, if they wish, leave the services before committing to adult service, and that any commitment to adult service is both considered and voluntary.
	This is done through the Armed Forces operating a policy whereby all new recruits, regardless of age, have a right of discharge within the first six months of service by giving not less than 14 days notice in writing to the commanding officer if they decide that the Armed Forces is not a career for them. In addition, service personnel under 18 years three months who have passed their statutory six-month period for "discharge as of right", and have registered, before reaching their 18th birthday, clear "unhappiness" at their choice of career, can request permission to leave the Armed Forces. This provision does not provide "discharge as of right" and the commanding officer has discretion to delay a decision on discharge if he has doubts about the permanence of the individual's unhappiness. However, it is exceedingly rare for such an "unhappy" individual to be refused permission to leave.
	The most relevant provision of the Convention on the Rights of the Child concerned the recruitment of children aged 15 into the Armed Forces. This convention predates, and was largely superseded by, the provisions of the OP. The Government consider that the safeguards provide sufficient protection to under-18s serving in the UK's Armed Forces and sufficiently comply with the UK's obligations under the convention. Similarly, the Government consider that the safeguards in terms of service of under-18s in the Armed Forces sufficiently comply with the United Kingdom's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights.

British Nationality: Indian Citizenship Law

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Triesman on 19 October (WA 126) on the Note Verbale of 20 April, what further communications they have had with the Government of India in respect of this matter; and what steps they have taken to seek a prompt response.

Lord Triesman: The British High Commission in New Delhi received a Note Verbale, dated 26 October, from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, informing the British High Commission that they were pursuing the matter with the relevant authorities and that they would make the requisite information available to the British High Commission on receipt of a reply. The British High Commission awaits this information from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Cyprus

Lord Monson: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any of the additional European Union funds arising from their agreement to the reduction in the United Kingdom's budget rebate will be used to help the people of northern Cyprus.

Lord Triesman: Current EU spending in north Cyprus is funded through a package of financial assistance established in 2003 under the 2003–06 financial perspective. The proposed aid regulation aimed at ending the economic isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community is expected to be funded out of the 2006 budget. The political agreement reached between member states in December on the EU's budget for 2007–13 will have no effect on either of these budget lines. The corresponding budget lines in the 2007–13 budgetary period will not be determined until a final deal on the overall budget is agreed with the European Parliament.

Doctors: CueDoc

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the total number of CueDoc doctors in Cumbria in each of the past 12 months; and
	Whether they will publish the most recent assessment of health need in North Cumbria in relation to (a) access; (b) transport; and (c) measurements of poverty.

Lord Warner: This information is not held centrally.

Hepatitis C: Contaminated Blood Products

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will reconsider the decision not to give financial help from the Skipton Fund to the widows and other dependants of haemophilia patients who have died from infection with hepatitis C from contaminated National Health Service blood and blood products.

Lord Warner: The Skipton Fund is designed to make ex gratia payments to those living with the hepatitis C virus and is not designed to compensate for bereavement. However, as I announced to the House on 12 January, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Health and her counterparts in the devolved Administrations have agreed to extend the period when claims can be made to the Skipton Fund on behalf of deceased patients by relatives or dependants. This means that the relatives or dependants of a person infected with hepatitis C through National Health Service blood and blood products who died after 5 July 2004, when the scheme became operational, will now be eligible to make a claim.

Identity Cards

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What disability awareness training will be provided to staff working in enrolment centres for the national identity cards scheme.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Details of particular training programmes will be decided closer to the time when identity card enrolment centres are being set up, but we will ensure that all staff have followed a suitable training programme and are issued with comprehensive guidance. We are in the process of consulting representative bodies on disability issues to cover all aspects of the identity cards scheme, but all facilities and services will be required to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 2005.

Identity Cards

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have made an assessment of the likely frequency of impersonation and identity theft arising from lost or stolen identity cards, given that many private institutions will not be equipped to check biometric data.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Not all organisations will be equipped to check biometric information against the national identity register and it is envisaged that simple visual verification may be used in low-risk transactions or where the individual has an established history with the organisation checking identity. However, where that happens there will be other methods in place to verify the authenticity of an identity card. Accredited user organisations which do not have biometric readers may use card readers which can verify the card's validity and authenticity electronically against the register. This will guard against the misuse of lost or stolen cards. In addition, in the absence of a biometric check, it will be possible to request the individual to submit a password or personal identification number (PIN) with their identity card.

Identity Cards

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether in relation to the National Identity Register they distinguish between sensitive personal information and particularly sensitive information; and if so, how.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Neither the phrase "sensitive personal information" nor the phrase "particularly sensitive information" has a technical or defined meaning in relation to the national identity register. The Identity Cards Bill establishes a national identity register as a record of "registrable facts" about individuals as set out in Clause 1(5) of the Bill. The only information that may be recorded in the register is as provided for in Clause 3 and listed at Schedule 1 to the Bill. This does not include what, in the ordinary meaning of the words, could be described as particularly sensitive information such as medical or criminal records. Clause 1(6) of the Bill prevents the inclusion of any personal reference number under Clause 1(5)(g)—such as a police national computer reference number—that would tend to reveal any "sensitive personal data" within the meaning of the Data Protection Act 1998 (c.29).

Identity Cards

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have any future intention of selling (a) non-anonymised and (b) anonymised data from the national identity register to private sector individuals or organisations; and, if so, why.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Private sector individuals or organisations will not be able to buy the data held on the national identity register. However, with an individual's consent, accredited organisations may be provided with limited information from the register (as specified in Clause 14 of the Identity Cards Bill) in order to verify that individual's identity and there may be a charge for this service.

Kazakhstan: Presidential Elections

Lord Kilclooney: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the cost of sending United Kingdom parliamentarians to participate in the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe Observer Delegation for the recent presidential election campaign in Kazakhstan.

Lord Triesman: The participation of honourable Members of another place in Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) election monitoring missions is financed from the House of Commons Administration Vote. Participation of the noble Lords in OSCE election monitoring missions is financed from the Members' Expenses and Administration Vote. Details on the costs of participation are maintained by the Overseas Office in the House of Commons and by the Accounts Office in the House of Lords. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold this information.

NHS: North Cumbria

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What arrangements exist for users of the National Health Service in north Cumbria to challenge decisions taken by the strategic health authority and assumptions made by the advisory committee in resource allocation on health needs in north Cumbria.

Lord Warner: The Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic Health Authority has not made any decisions with regard to health services in north Cumbria. However, users of National Health Service services in north Cumbria will have a full opportunity to challenge any options for service redesign in north Cumbria as part of a full public consultation process which will be the responsibility of the primary care trusts in the area.
	The role of the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA) is to oversee the development of the national weighted capitation formula to ensure equity in the allocation of resources to the NHS. The details of the formula developed under the auspices of ACRA, in relation to the 2006–07 and 2007–08 revenue allocations, is set out in a booklet entitled Resource Allocation: Weighted Capitation Formula, Fifth Edition. This booklet has been placed in the Library and is available on the Department of Health Publications website at www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT–ID=4112065&chk=MqnOJW.
	The department has also published the detailed data that underpin the allocations at www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/OrganisationPolicy/FinanceAndPlanning/Allocations/fs/en.
	These sources of information are accessed by a wide range of people and groups, and as a result the department receives papers and correspondence on a variety of topics related to the formula. On occasion, issues are also raised directly with ACRA members. Where appropriate, ACRA places these issues on the agenda for future meetings.

Prisoners: Release on Licence

Baroness Buscombe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 19 December (WA 235), how many prisoners have been released on licence in (a) England and Wales since publication of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2003; and (b) in Scotland since publication of the Parole Board of Scotland annual report 2004.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The latest published information available for England and Wales on those released on licence can be found in Table 4.6 of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin: Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2004. This was published on 16 December 2005. Information on those released on licence in Scotland since publication of the Parole Board for Scotland annual report 2004 is not centrally available. However, in the period 1 January to 13 December 2005 the Parole Board for Scotland had recommended that 356 determinate sentence prisoners be released on parole. In addition, in that period, the board has directed the release of 39 life prisoners. Copies of these reports can be found in the House of Lords Library.

Proceeds of Crime Act 2002: Money Laundering

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many prosecutions have been made under Section 330(1) of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (as substituted by Section 104(3) of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005) for failure to make a disclosure of knowledge or suspicion that another person is engaged in money laundering.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: In 2004, there were three prosecutions in England and Wales under Section 330(1) of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 for failure to disclose another person involved in money laundering. There are no records of prosecutions under this section in earlier years.

Radio Five Live: Complaint Investigation

Lord Monson: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many police man-hours were spent investigating and reporting remarks on the merits of adoption by homosexual couples expressed by a journalist on a recent BBC Radio Five Live programme; whether these remarks have been retained on record by the police or other public bodies; and, if so, under what authority.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: A total of 90 minutes were spent by police in relation to the investigation and recording of remarks made during a BBC Radio Five Live programme. This was as a result of a member of the public contacting the police to complain. The time spent by police involved the recording of the incident on the police Crime Reporting Information System (CRIS) and speaking to both parties (the complainant and the journalist) by telephone. During the course of these telephone conversations it was explained that no crime had actually been committed but that a record of the complaint had been made. It is a standard operating procedure in the Metropolitan Police Service that if any person reports an incident which they perceive to be homophobic it will be recorded.

Sudan: Comprehensive Peace Agreement

The Earl of Sandwich: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress they are making with conflict resolution and political dialogue in eastern Sudan; and what role United Nations troops will play in implementing the comprehensive peace agreement in that region.

Lord Triesman: The Government have supported Concordis, a UK-based non-governmental organisation, in providing technical assistance to the Eastern Front, the main rebel group in eastern Sudan, to prepare them for peace talks with the Government of Sudan. Talks were to begin under Libyan mediation in mid-January 2006. On 27 December the Eastern Front announced that it was unhappy with Libyan mediators and was withdrawing from the talks. However, we understand that following negotiation with the United Nations in early January, both parties are now willing to begin negotiations under Libyan mediation in Sirte, Libya, on 17 January. We have always made clear that any agreement must be fully compatible with the terms of the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA).
	Under the terms of the CPA between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement, the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) will maintain a presence in eastern Sudan to verify implementation of the CPA between the parties there. UNMIS has also encouraged the Eastern Front and Government of Sudan to start talks at the earliest opportunity. Any further decision on the role of the UN in the east will have to be taken by the Security Council.